Okay, this final one is challenging. D26 is a solid student, but she is not being realistic abt her college search. 3.7UW GPA, but will have an IB diploma, and also has 3 APs. 1200 SAT, BUT she has an ADHD diagnosis and took it without accommodations and just ran out of time. Re-taking in August, after tutoring and with additional time, and so I’m optimistically planning for 1300. Interested In something like International Relations as a major. Terrific writer.
She has colleges like Northeastern and even Cornell on her list, and have tried to gently re-direct and gotten her to understand that she needs smaller colleges, though she does not want “Too” small (this seems to be subjective). The good news is she’s less familiar with the names of smaller colleges, so is more receptive to a wider range. College must be in the northeast, but also willing to expand that down to Virginia If it’s “right”? It must not feel rural - likes urban, self-contained or suburban feel. Not big on a Greek or party scene, not thrilled about Catholic affiliated, also not thrilled about too “hippie” (also seems to be subjective! LOL).
On top of this, she has been receiving interest from colleges for her sport (prefer not to say what it is to protect anonymity.)
So, current list looks like this:
High Reach:
Bowdoin (college contacted her)
Reach:
Connecticut College
U of Rochester
Target:
American??? (this one seems so hit or miss, so maybe a reach?)
Marist
Clark
Likely:
University of Mary Washington
Siena
Suffolk (but probably TOO urban)
Would love to get another target school in there, but this was a tough list.
What is her approximate class rank (guesstimate if you don’t know…top 30%, top 50%, etc.)
What does her rigor look like, for example which IB subjects are high level?
Will you qualify for need based aid and/or are there any budget constraints? If so, what is the annual budget?
Where is she in the recruiting process? Coaches are pretty far along for class of 2026 athletes…have any submitted/intend to submit her transcript for a pre-read?
Curious why you say this. Is it because of the ADHD? Our research has shown that accommodations vary widely by college and some of the big colleges have great accommodations.
Re American - they look a lot at demonstrated interest so make sure she opens emails, attends webinars, attends any in person events locally etc even if visiting the college itself proves difficult. From how you described your daughter and what she’s looking for, American sounds like a good fit. (My D19 looked closely at it for IR as well.)
Top 25% - at a very competitive high school
Rigor is above average, only by virtue of being IB, but definitely not high. But for instance, taking IB Calc. Science is NOT a strength, however.
Merit would always be nice, but funding Is available thanks to generous grandparents.
Not far along at all in recruiting - injury last summer, just had some smaller colleges express interest after a showcase. Only one of interest to her was Bowdoin. She really isn’t enthusiastic to play in college, but has also said she is willing to if it will help her admission odds at the “right” (subjective once again!) school. Not sure that it really will at Bowdoin, however.
She feels she learns much better through discussion-based classes and also said that engagement with professors is very important to her. She hadn’t really considered that that would be a tougher at a larger school. But, it’s reassuring to know that you’re seeing/hearing about larger colleges with great accommodations!
Yes, I knew that about American and have told her to be on top of everything from them!
Well, it really depends on the school and the program. My D19 went to NYU - definitely large - but was in a program where almost all of her classes were 25 people or less. She had great professor engagement and one even recommended her for an internship that they heard about. So yes, would investigate specifics rather than assuming large school always means large classes. (Even where there are large classes they may have (name varies by school) seminars etc where the class is broken up into smaller groups.)
Btw Cornell is becoming test-required from the 2026 cycle. Her GPA and a 1300 SAT probably make it a high reach, something to share with her if she keeps it on her list.
Yes, considered it! I think I eliminated just due to having Siena (Catholic) already on the list? I really can’t even remember why I eliminated it at this point. Lol.
I first thought of Marist. And for learning disabled Hofstra.
I think Christopher Newport is another good one as maybe would be Salisbury. Add Millersville. Since you have big on your list, Syracuse Maxwell and Pitt would be reasonable gets - great names in the major but not Cornell and Northeastern difficult.
Of course all depends on finances.
Define small as Bowdoin is 1800 - is that small?
I think a good reach is Brandeis - if you are full pay.
For the major I’m guessing the where matters little. Mine went to a school not in your zone (college of Charleston) and had ample enrichment and speaker opportunity and interned for a prominent DC think tank.
When I was watching the Jan 6 hearings I heard Christopher Newport and Kent State as some of the key staff. Seton Hall (Catholic) is well known in the IR arena only reason I mention a Catholic school.
The point being - she can find resources and opportunity from anywhere.
It’s ok to reach, take your chance but of course you need those reasonable - and you have a few. Those are more important than the reaches.
American values a high level of applicant’s interest, particularly with “overqualified” applicants who are likely to be admitted to Georgetown or George Washington.
But they have enrollment issues so you never know, but I’d imagine with the under enrollment and likely pullback from intl students, schools like AU and Rochester as well as others might have to change. AU’s shortfall helped create a $23 mil revenue deficiency.
When the finances take a hit, you see schools start to get desperate.